


Gifts

by DarkCorgi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, M/M, Romance, Sexual Content, Slash, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-06-21
Updated: 2004-06-21
Packaged: 2018-09-27 21:09:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10049693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkCorgi/pseuds/DarkCorgi
Summary: Severus thinks back on the gifts his lover, Harry, has given him over the years as he opens what may be the last.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from SeparatriX, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [HP Fandom](http://fanlore.org/wiki/HP_Fandom_\(archive\)), which was closed for health and financial reasons. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [HP Fandom collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hpfandom/profile).

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I receive no money from this and I’m just borrowing to kill some time until the 6th book.  
Advertisement: Part of the Slash Advent Calendar at http://www.kardasi.com/Advent/2003  
Note: This contains slash. That means two men in a relationship. If that bothers you please move on.  
Beta: Much thanks to Ev vy for the beta. Any errors left are solely my own.

 

****

Gifts

I hate teaching or, at least, I think I do. I do believe I hate the feeling of being trapped. Despite my efforts, and the risk to my very life, the Ministry sees fit to keep me from my family vaults. So, I'm trapped teaching students who have no respect for my art. I'm forced to eek out a living as a menial and to live on the charity of the school system. Albus fights continuously to liberate the Snape family holdings from the greedy maws of those in power.

Lucius has once again managed to escape lifelong incarceration in Azkaban; though, this time, his family fortune has been confiscated. Narcissa and Draco both died during the Dark Lord's final push to topple Albus and destroy Hogwarts, and Lucius has been courting me full out. I am sure that he has hidden far more money in other locations than he had at the manor or in his vault at Gringotts. He flaunts those things that I desire to have once again, trying to use them to buy his way into my life. Once, I thought I loved the man, but that was just a foolish infatuation on my part that quickly died when I found him in another's bed. Never again will I willingly keep company with that man.

Now I shy away from most relationships or, at least, I did. One person, no matter how hard I tried to drive him away, persists. I tried and tried to push him away. At first I used my sarcasm, then I raged at him, and then I just ignored him. None of my tactics worked. He kept coming back.

His creeping into my life started three weeks before Christmas three years ago. It wasn't anything obvious to begin with. He would just show up in my lab as I furiously worked on a healing potion after a healing potion for the Order. As I worked, the empty containers would disappear from my work area only to reappear clean, dry and ready for a next potion. Or they'd be sitting in their cabinets when I was done for the evening.

The day of the first occurrence I was shocked. He was the last person I would expect to help me. My eyes were wide with surprise at the sight of him. I growled, snapped and threatened to take all of his house's points, but nothing would stop him. He came back every night and cleaned up. He never said a word; all he did was smile when he left and returned again the next night. I thought, at the time, that Albus put him up to it. I was quite shocked to find out from Minerva that he was doing it of his own volition.

It became a comfortable routine and I grew used to the sounds of another person in the lab. As we continued, he began helping prepare ingredients. Further down the line, he started making the lower-level healing potions and salves, while I worked cures and counter-agents for those potions the Dark Lord had me make in his service. Eventually, we started talking, small things at first, and then more revealing facts about each other. Soon, that quiet working partnership went from the student-teacher relationship to a quiet friendship. Those nights I was called to do the Dark Lord's bidding and gather information for the Order, he would be there with the array of potions I might need if I ran afoul of the Dark Lord's temper. It was comforting having someone other than Albus waiting for me to return, and every time he looked relieved to see me come back.

Our relationship climbed another step two days before New Year's Day the following year, the day we almost lost Albus. The Headmaster was attacked on his way back from a Ministry meeting, just outside the school's wards. By the time we found his body, it was almost too late. Poppy worked for twelve solid hours, healing his wounds, and even then she wasn't too hopeful about his survival. I was devastated over the news and crept back to the dungeon, wincing when I heard cheers coming from the common room of my House. I was too depressed to deal with them that night. Upon reaching my chambers, I collapsed shaking with grief.

The old man was my only friend for so long, and the possibility of losing him was paralysing. I was nearly frightened out of my wits, when I felt someone kneeling beside me. I looked up in shock and panic, since I hadn't heard anyone enter the room. It was him once again. He helped me off the floor, walked me over to my couch and held me as he, too, grieved. The comfort of someone holding me for the first time since I had turned my back on the Dark Lord broke down some of the walls I had erected around myself years ago. I wept in his arms for the first time since I had been a child, and when the tears dried up I fell asleep in his embrace.

Morning came and I was still in his arms. Moving slowly, so as not to wake him, and also due to my aching muscles, I rose from the couch. He was either already awake or I didn't move cautiously enough, because those brilliant eyes popped open to look at me. I don't know what possessed me to do what I did next. Perhaps it was grief, or exhaustion, or the fact that I felt more deeply for him than I had thought. I leaned over and gently pressed my lips to his. I heard him gasp in surprise and, fearing the worst, I began to pull away. He wouldn't let me. He placed his hand on the back of my head to stop my retreat and returned my kiss tenfold. I lay against his chest and wrapped my arms around him as I deepened the kiss. We stayed like that for a long while, until the need for air and a more urgent call of nature forced us apart.

Albus was alive, but Poppy was still hesitant about his chances of recovery, and I retreated to my lab as I always do when stressed. He was right behind me. I suggested that he return to his friends, and he insisted that they didn't need him. I guess that I was too used to his presence at that point, because I didn't question him. We went about the routine we'd established earlier, both doing our best not to think about losing the most important person in our lives. By mutual, silent consent we had dinner in my quarters that night. Neither of us felt like dealing with our peers that night.

Eventually, we found ourselves back on my couch. First, just staring at the fire, lost in our thoughts, and then repeating the morning's kiss. It started as gently as the first, but rapidly grew harder and more demanding as the minutes passed. He then blew my mind, when he trailed kisses down my neck and then he slid his body between my legs. Without a sound he parted my robes and unfastened my trousers. Gently, he pulled my trousers and pants down to my ankles and allowed his warm breath to ghost over my cock. Shivers ran down my spine, and I nearly leapt off the couch as his tongue worked its way up my engorged member. I didn't know why I was being so passive in this situation, and I thought I was going to call a halt to the proceedings, but then he swallowed me to the hilt, making all coherent thoughts fly away.

He slowly worked his way up and down my cock. It was too slow, and I wanted to make him go faster, but he had my hips firmly pinned to the cushions. I tangled my fingers in his hair, trying to urge him faster, but the only response I got was a chuckle that felt so incredible, vibrating against my erection. I couldn't hold back the small moans and whimpers as he continued that agonisingly slow pace. My eyes fluttered close and my world narrowed to that incredibly warm mouth working its magic along the length of my cock. Suddenly, it was gone. As my eyes popped open in confusion, I felt his tongue moving against my balls. After bathing them with his tongue, he gently sucked one into his mouth. The gentle sucking motions felt odd at first, but slowly my spine began to dissolve as he finished with one and repeated the process with the other.

He returned the moist heat of his mouth to my cock and, instead of continuing with the snail-like pace, he went faster and harder, taking me into his throat with each downward thrust. Each and every bob of his head brought me closer and closer to completion, and my hips jerked as I moaned. My need reached a fevered pitch as my balls drew up and I came forcefully, calling his name at the top of my lungs. He swallowed every drop I spilled as my wits wandered through oblivion. When I was able to focus my attention on reality, he was still between my legs, gently running his hands up and down my thighs in a soothing motion.

As I watched him for a few moments, I felt a need for more. I needed to feel loved, but in a way different from Albus' love. With a couple of quick flicks of my wand and mumbled words my fireplace was cut off from the Floo network and the lubricant from my nightstand flew into the room. I slid down onto the floor in front of him and captured his lips in a desperate kiss. I pushed him down onto the fire-warmed rug and started to quickly remove his clothing. Once done with his clothing I had moved on to my own. Now, having us both completely nude, I decided to explore some before handing control to him.

I left his mouth and began to work my way down his throat, drinking in the sounds of his panting. He tangled his fingers into my hair as I nibbled along his collarbone. I abandoned that area and headed lower for a fresher territory. As I began to nip and suck on his nipples, my hands roamed over the crisp curly hair on his chest and abdomen, stopping only when I reached his hips. The overwhelming need for more accosted me once again, and I reached over to grab the jar of lubricant from where it landed, removed one of his hands from my hair and placed the jar in it. The shock and surprise in his eyes at the implications did much to raise my spirits. He'd assumed I would be doing the taking. Not one of those I'd been with before had ever given me the choice, and it made it all worth the risk of being caught with him.

I shifted position and brought him along with me, settling him between my willingly spread legs. He opened the jar and set it aside as his eyes washed over my body, while his hands followed in their wake. Gently, he touched the web of scars criss-crossing my body, the white of ages ago and the angry red of my last spying mission. He leaned over and initiated another kiss which I lost myself to. I never felt him shift, and was surprised when I felt his finger begin to breach my entrance. I jerked and tensed up in surprise at the intrusion, but he waited until my tension eased and my surprise wore away. Slowly he worked his finger in, then just as slowly worked a second, and then a third. It didn't take much for him to get me to beg for more, and beg I did. I was surprised at how much I seemed to need this.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked softly as if afraid I would change my mind.

"Yes, I'm sure. I want this. I need this, I need you." My response lit his eyes from with in and it took my breath away and all I was able to do was beg some more.

He answered my pleas quite readily and soon he was positioned at my entrance, slowly pushing himself in. I couldn't help but tense up, bracing myself for the sudden intrusion that never came. He paused again and waited for me to relax before every thrust, burying himself deeper each time. In very little time he was completely inside me, keeping very still. Much too soon for my own liking I became impatient and made it known. Like before, he began slowly, much too slowly, but on each thrust he hit that wonderful spot that sent flashes of pleasure all along my nerves. On each outward stroke he left only the head of his cock inside me and then pushed fully back inside.

I wrapped my legs around his waist in the irrational belief that if I didn't, he would leave. His constant barrage on my prostate brought my prick back to life, and it alternately slapped our stomachs in time to his thrusts. It seemed like an eternity before his thrusts became quicker and desperate. It was then that I realised I was moaning and begging for him to go faster and harder. He reached between us and grasped my cock, and began to pump it in time with his thrusts. For the second time that night I came, calling out his name and, not soon after a shiver ran down my spine, I heard him cry out my name, spilling his seed inside me.

He stayed braced over me, panting, his eyes glazed in post-orgasmic bliss. He slowly pulled out and reached for his wand. With a quick flick and a muttered word he cleaned the two of us off and summoned a blanket from my room, settling beside me on the rug. He flicked the blanket over us and rested his head on my chest as he gazed into the fire. Soon enough I could hear him settle into sleep and, before I allowed the pull of my own exhaustion take me, I made a decision not to allow this chance at happiness slip away. I would hold on to him as long as I could.

Our closeness from that night never diminished during our vigil for Albus, nor did it dim when Albus recovered, or when the Dark Lord decided to take the Mountain to Mohammed and attacked the school. Through the battle and the rest of the school year no one learned of our relationship, and nothing seemed to pry him away from my side. Eventually, he left school and took his place in the ranks of Aurors, trying to hunt down the rest of the Death Eaters plaguing both the wizarding and the Muggle world.

He owls everyday, and every weekend he arrives to spend time with me. I'm eternally grateful that he found another owl to use, or the entire school would know about us and start bombarding me with questions and accusations. Though, I'm sure Albus knows; the look in his eyes when the odd grey owl arrives every morning with my daily missive from him. I still don't know where he found this owl; it's not a species I've ever seen. It looks almost like a scaled-down eagle-owl, and it seems to get along quite well with my own foul-tempered bird.

Another Christmas Eve dawns and I spend my day brewing what I hope is an improved version of the Wolfsbane potion. My previous attempts to improve it have succeed quite well, and now the victim has to take only one dose prior to the full moon and three more, one each day of his or her change. I'm quite proud of that, and now I'm trying to eliminate or numb the pain caused by the change. Soon, I'll find that answer, I'm sure of it. It's quite refreshing to be able to brew potions to help end pain instead of causing it. I'll be damned if I ever have to again. I don't even bother going upstairs for breakfast or lunch, knowing that he will be here later tonight. I know I'll have to make an appearance for dinner, or Albus will be here dragging me by my ear.

Finally, the potion was done and I could set it aside to cool. After cleaning up I penned some notes for my willing guinea pigs for this batch of Wolfsbane. Glancing at the clock, I noticed I had just enough time before dinner to send some owls out with the notes. Once my letters were off, I made my way down to the Great Hall for dinner. Only three other students were staying this holiday and, once again, a single table was set up in the middle of the Hall. For some nameless reason, a feeling of foreboding descended on me. Dinner started with very little fanfare, though it did nothing to help my unease.

When a shadow flitted over the head table my heart sank. It was the owl he always sent to me, and it had a package grasped in its talons. It dropped the package next to my plate and accepted the piece of roast I offered it as a reward. Instead of flying off, he relocated to the back of my chair and seemed to settle in for an extended period of time. My unease grew as the meal progressed, until the door to the Hall burst open, revealing a distraught Molly Weasley and an equally hysterical Hermione Weasley.

"Albus, there was an attack at the Ministry. The remaining Death Eaters stormed the Aurors' headquarters and nearly wiped them out. They couldn't find Ron or Harry once it was over," Molly wailed into the silent and horrified room as Albus got up to comfort the two grieving women.

My hands shook and I tried to disguise the fact, but Minerva noticed and looked at me in concern.

"Are you alright, Severus?" She asked the worry for me as evident as the worry for her two former students.

All I could do was to shake my head 'no' as I reached out a trembling hand for the package by my plate. With quivering fingers I opened what could possibly be the last missive I may receive from Harry. Inside the package was a thin box wrapped in silver and green. When I removed the wrapping paper and the lid, I found several rolls of parchment and some keys. My eyes widened in shock when I unrolled and read the first one.

_By order of the Minister of Magic, all properties and liberties of the Snape family are hereby returned to the heir, Severus R. Snape. All charges and allegations concerning Severus R. Snape are also hereby disallowed. All rights, privileges and belongings seized have been restored to the above._

_C. Fudge  
Minister of Magic_

_Witnesses:_  
Harry J. Potter  
Ronald A. Weasley  
Blaise M. Zabini 

I couldn't believe my eyes. When I looked through the rest of the documents I saw the deed to my family properties and a list of the items seized by the Ministry after the first fall of the Dark Lord. The keys were those belonging to the family mansion and the various vaults at Gringotts. Harry gave me more gifts than I could possibly imagine; first his friendship, then his love, then my freedom from that monster, and now my freedom from teaching if I wanted it. I didn't think I'd given him even a quarter of what he'd given me.

Now to think he might be gone, and I hadn't had the courage to even tell him that I loved him. I began to leave the hall slowly, while the rest of the staff's attention was on the two distraught Weasleys. I barely made it the doors when they crashed open again, missing me by hairs. A familiar red-head came charging into the room.

"Hermione, Mum?" Ron Weasley called out over the din of concerned professors.

"Ron!" The combined voices of the two grieving women echoed through the hall as they rushed to embrace the youngest of the Weasley men. After much sniffling Molly looked around, and when she didn't find what she was looking for, she turned to her son. "Where's Harry?"

My blood froze in my veins. I was expecting the worse. Hope had never been something I could count on. I braced myself for the bad news I knew I was going to hear.

"He's on his way. He was hurt badly during the attack. The bloody bastards staged the raid to get their hands on Harry." He turned to look directly at me and continued, "It looks like you saved his life again, Professor."

"What is that supposed to mean, Mr. Weasley?" I couldn't restrain my glare and I didn't want to play twenty questions with the brainless Gryffindor.

"You'll find out. He'll tell you when he arrives." He looked pointedly at the box in my hand before returning his attention to his wife and mother.

I turned and left the hall without another word. As I entered the Entrance Hall, the outer doors started to open and Harry limped into the castle. I stood frozen in the middle of the hall, memorising every bit of the young man making his way toward me. I examined him, looking for any other sign of injury than the obvious one to his leg.

"You were supposed to wait for me to before you opened that," he said quietly as he made his way to me.

I didn't even bother to answer; I just pulled him to me and held him as tightly as I could. I muffled a sob in his hair. I couldn't hold it in and I didn't bother trying. I could hear him murmuring words of comfort into my chest, though I couldn't make out what he was saying. After a short struggle I managed to bring my emotions under control and loosened my death grip on Harry.

"Mr. Weasley mentioned something about this," I said lifting the box so he could see it, "saving your life today. Care to explain?"

"That's easy enough to explain, Severus. I started trying to get your family estate out of the Ministry's control once I found out about it being confiscated despite the risk you had been taking to obtain information. I've been dogging Fudge ever since I joined the Aurors. I finally wore him down, but it came with a price - me out of the Aurors and out of the Ministry. I was just leaving Fudge's office when they attacked. I bailed as quickly as I could once I realised there was an attack."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know," he replied with a shrug. "A lot depends on you. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I really haven't thought about it. Perhaps I'll stay here for a little while longer. The mansion will need some extensive work before it's inhabitable. I may find I do like teaching after all."

"Hmm… I wonder if that teaching job Albus offered me last year would be still available?"

"I can make sure it is," I promised with a smirk, eliciting a laugh from Harry. I looked at him thoughtfully for several long moments as he gained control of himself. "You've given me so much these past two years, and I've never given you as much as I should have." I placed a finger over his lips, stopping the rebuttal before it left his mouth. I paused a moment, gathering myself for the words I never thought I'd get to say to another living soul. "I love you, Harry. Without you I'd have withered and turned to dust long ago."

"I love you too, Severus." He smiled at me with a joy I had last seen in his third year when his house had won the Quidditch Cup. "You've just given me the greatest gift anyone could have." He moved in closer so only I could hear what he would say next. "How about you show me how much you love me. I want to feel you inside me."

I uttered a low moan and captured his mouth in a heated kiss. To hell with the rest of the staff finding out; they would eventually anyway. You couldn't keep secrets for long in this place no matter how hard you tried. I didn't care any more; for the first time in years I was truly happy. Someone clearing their throat behind us caused us to slowly break the kiss. We turned to see a thin-lipped Minerva staring at us with disapproval and a beaming Albus standing behind her.

"Is this what you were up to when you started haunting the dungeons three years ago, young man?"

"No, I was scrubbing cauldrons, sterilising vials and chopping ingredients," Harry replied cheekily. "Happy Christmas, Professor McGonagall, Albus."

He grabbed my hand and began leading me towards the dungeons. I shot a triumphant smirk over my shoulder at a fuming Minerva as Albus tried to talk her off her high horse.

Yes, I am truly happy and I intend to stay that way when I'm not teaching the brats. Perhaps Christmas will become my favourite holiday, especially with the package I'm about to unwrap in my life.

**fin**


End file.
